What If
by bobdabuilder0804
Summary: COMPLETE Takes place half way through S1, the second half never happened - better summary inside! Reviews are always cool! COMPLETE
1. Stuck at CTU

_This is another new fic of mine, set half way through season 1. Imagine that 24 S1 ended with Jack rescuing Terri and Kim from Gaines' compound, being whisked away in the choppers. Then my fic starts, a few hours after that. Nothing else in 24 ever happened - Terri is not dead and Nina is good. That pretty much covers it I think, any questions, don't hesitate to ask!_

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Another 28 hours had passed since Jack was officially placed under house arrest. He was still sat in interrogation 2, after answering the same mind numbing questions over and over again to different people who represented the different government branches who's feathers had been ruffled at some point during the day as a result of his actions. 

He was now past caring about his future, his family were all that mattered. They had been sent directly to a safe house after being checked out at a nearby clinic, and everything was fine. After the 24 hour cautionary period had passed Nina Myers had happily escorted them home. It appeared their was no threat present - and their debriefs were completed after Poulson took over. They had been told nothing of Jack, other than that he was being debriefed at C.T.U. 

It was Terri and Kim he thought of as he gently slept during a 15 minute break before he had to sign off on his statement. Just 5 minutes into the break and sleep deprivation of over 50 hours won over, despite the gallons of coffee he had drank throughout his interrogation. He knew they would wake him when they needed him - they had earlier, when the same thing had happened. 

Tony Almeida walked into the building with a spring in his step. After all, today had to be better than yesterday was. As he sat at his grey computer station in his black office type chair he looked at his phone and saw he had a message, as the small red light was blinking furiously for his attention. As he held the phone to his ear he saw that the voice mail was left just over four hours after he had left work yesterday. 

The message played and it was Nina, kindly asking him to tell Jack that their was no threat to Terri nor Kim, and they were now both home safe and sound. After some waffling about Jack which he ignored, she informed him that she was going home, and seen as she had Wednesday off, she wouldn't be returning until Thursday. 

Tony deleted the message, slightly concerned that Nina had seemed so worried about Jack - they couldn't be keeping him here for so long surely? Although interested he wasn't too happy about going to see Jack and although he knew it was the last thing on Jack's priority list, he didn't want to get too pally with him by helping him out. Still he knew how much his family meant to the man from his actions yesterday, and he thought that he should at least know they were okay. 

Somewhat reluctantly he headed towards the grey interrogation area after crossing over the huge C.T.U logo printed across the floor. As he approached the room he saw that their were two bulky guards outside it, and he began to wonder if Jack had been kept inside this room the entire time since he was arrested. It was unusual but Jack's case was unusual too, and they probably wanted to keep him confined and isolated, until everything was in order. 

Both of the guards recognised Tony even though he had no idea who they were. Neither of them protested as he swiped his green access card through the mechanism on the door, before entering the room. He knew that if the guards had caused a fuss or questioned him he would have probably left it, it wasn't as if he owed Jack anything. 

As he pushed through the heavy door Tony first locked his eyes on the tape recording equipment set up on a rickety looking trolley next to the shiny metal table. The next thing he took note of was Jack's left wrist, which was handcuffed to the table. 'Real nice,' he thought. 'Isn't having the room guarded enough?' Tony realised that he was starting to pity Jack and he didn't want to. He had already given his statement on the actions he witnessed, and had been fairly defendant of Jack as he believed he didn't have a choice, because of the situation he was put in with his family. He didn't think anything of it he was just telling the truth, but now he didn't want to find himself sympathising with the man. 

Ignoring his thoughts he continued observing the room, and he saw that Jack was slumped over the table slightly, but not far enough to block his face from view, as he could clearly make out the tired lines drawn across his face, from what he assumed was lack of sleep. He was still wearing the navy blue shirt he had on when they brought him in the day before. It was obvious that he hadn't slept in over two days, so he chose not to wake him with the news about his family. 

Instead he pulled out a pad of post it notes from his pocket and scribbled the news down in blue ink before peeling the yellow square off. He stuck it on the table next to Jack's hand facing him, and quietly left. As he closed the door behind himself he could see George heading his way towards the room with a folder bulging with documents. 'So much for letting him sleep,' Tony though slightly amused. 

George greeted with Tony with a pat on the arm and Tony couldn't help but ask why George was dealing with Jack. Not Hammond or Chappelle, or anyone else.   
  
"Well we've all been going at him for a while now, and it seems that he is most co-operative with me for some reason, he wont give Ryan nor Brad an inch. Maybe he thinks that if he's nice he will get my assault charged knocked off the long list of charges against him." He laughed hard, before turning away and going into the room. 

"Funny guy," Tony muttered under his breath before he sat back down on his comfy chair. He glanced at his computer screen and quickly focused on the work he needed to do; Jack had already left his mind. Their were other matters he had to concentrate on, and he was not one of them. 

George Mason had entered the holding room, and after waking up a disorientated Jack, he left him with over 50 documents to sign. He left the room quickly and headed straight over to the large conference room where all of the 'heads' were waiting. All of the suits were sat around the dark mahogany table waiting patiently whilst brewing coffee. Once Jack had signed off on it all stage one was complete. Then they would review all of the staggering evidence against him, the witness reports and accounts of broken protocall, everything, and come to some sort of conclusion. They had decided earlier that the matter would be decided 'in house,' they didn't want to involve outside authorities, it was all supposed to be kept hush hush, they didn't want to embarrass the agency. 

After that the suits had decided was an appropriate amount of time George went back in to see Jack one last time. He had finished signing the documents as the folder was closed and the pen sat neatly on top of it, it was clear he was bored and wanted to leave the room as soon as possible. 

As George entered the room he couldn't help but sense some sort of atmosphere change, it was no longer tense, he seemed... relieved. He didn't know why he sensed this, after all he should know that he was far from safe, and as far as George was concerned he was stood at the top of a slippery slope, and the only way was down. He didn't, however, know about the note slipped to Jack from Tony, which was the reason Jack no longer seemed so pressured to hurry things along. 

George walked over and sat on the edge of the metal table, one leg resting atop it, the other, which Jack assumed was the one which had housed the tranquilliser dart earlier, dangled in the air before barely touching the floor with the toe of his leather soles. 

"I've signed everything in the appropriate places." Jack spoke, too tired to care about how vulnerable he looked. He went to rub the bridge of his nose, a habit of his, but his restrained hand didn't get that far. He looked down at the metal handcuff fastened around it, and then let it drop back down to the table, whilst letting out a small chuckle, he could not adjust to the restraints no matter how long he wore them. 

George watched the display feeling a twinge of guilt for Jack and the position he was in. In all truth, he hadn't actively broken protocall, he had no choice with the difficult situation he had been thrown into. There had been no alternative choice for his actions, and he did what he had to do. He cleared his voice before speaking, and he suddenly began to feel uncomfortable. 

"Er... thanks, I ... I guess you want to know where we go from here?" He asked, trying to help. 

"Yeah that would be good." Jack's voice cold, it held no emotions. 

"Well, an agent will take you home. Because of the motives for your actions we have evaluated that you are not a flight risk, so you can go home. Whilst the board reviews your case you are required to continue your work here on a daily basis, on a low level assignment. You will not have a security clearance for this duration, and you will work directly under, and report to Alberta Green, who is Acting Director of C.T.U., until further notice." 

As he listened, Jack tried not to sigh - working under Alberta was going to be difficult. George decided that he should explain the unusual procedure which was occurring here, as he was sure Jack would be as confused as he was when he was first informed. 

"This is strictly our strategy to keep a fix on you, and is the alternative to an ongoing suspension. Were this case handled by the outside authorities you would spend this period of time in a holding cell whilst some fat deputy sits on his desk slobbering over a box of doughnuts whilst keeping an eye on you... so its not a bad alternative really, at least you can be with your family." He didn't know why he was trying to make his predicament sound appealing; he was stuck with it whether he liked it or not. 

"How long will this last?" Jack asked, ignoring his weak attempt of humour. 

"For the duration of the review. It could take one week, could take three, we've no idea. It will be ongoing, until the matter is resolved." 

"Okay..." Jack broke off to word his next question carefully. "What are the possible outcomes?" 

George took a deep breath, he wasn't enjoying the conversation at all. "It will range from a simple suspension or demotion, to jail time where you could be prosecuted as a traitor to your country." 

Jack hung his head as he battled with his emotions inside. He knew that the last thing in the world he could be was a traitor. He was a patriot for Christ's sake, couldn't they see that? 

George sensed his struggle and tried to change the subject off of the outcome of his case. 

"Your car will be tracked at all times, a simple precaution." 

"Fine." Jack interrupted, having a hard time controlling his temper, which was growing shorter by the minute. 

"You will be expected to come back to C.T.U first thing Monday morning, so I suggest you use the next few days to get some rest." 

"Thanks for the tip George." He said bluntly. 

"Yeah... anyway, we've got a rookie down in the parking garage ready to take you home, your car will be dropped off later." He then moved over and undid the cuff attaching his wrist to the table, after taking a moment to fish the key from his deep pocket. 

"So that's it?" Jack asked, his brain making sure his hand didn't massage his wrist. He wanted to, it was itching after having a metal bar wrapped round it almost 30 hours, but he didn't want to give George the satisfaction of seeing him do so. 

"For now yes. See you Monday." He nodded as Jack stepped through the door he had opened for him. He headed straight towards the parking lot, his exhaustion making itself clear to him and his body as he struggled to stay standing up. 

He climbed into the passenger seat and closed the door. The young man had been informed of Jack's temperament and wisely chose not to make conversation with him. As the car started moving he closed his eyes, happy to he heading home to his family, forgetting about the dark rain cloud which hovered over his future. 

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_So that was the first chapter, please review, please!! Im open to ANY suggestions!!!_


	2. Strange Behaviour

George stood in the entrance of the dimly lit parking lot and watched as the black Ford carrying Jack disappeared from view. He turned around and headed back to the conference room, the signed documents were tucked safely under his arm. He knew that that was the easy part, now they would have to conduct interviews and get the witness reports, gather evidence, come to their conclusions of it, before sending it to their own review board who will then hopefully come to the same conclusion as they had. It was not going to be easy. 

After a short ride home Jack walked through the wooden door and entered his home, and was immediately greeted by Kimberly running up to him with outstretched arms and a gleeful look on her face as he pulled her into a tight embrace. As he hugged his daughter he realised that he didn't want to let go. He had come close to loosing her yesterday, and he wasn't going to risk it again, the stakes were too high. 

He rested his chin on her head and whispered, "Are you okay?" 

She continued to bury her head in his shoulder, and he herd a muffled, "Were fine Dad." As he looked up he saw Terri leaning against the pine door frame, her hair still wet, she had just had a shower. She was watching the two and her expression changed, she smiled as the two locked eyes, Jack's own eyes lighting up like fireworks in the process. He stared at her gleefully and wanted nothing more than to smother her in kisses. 

He was a little hurt when she stayed stood where she was, she didn't rush over to see him as Kim had, but he assumed she didn't want to ruin his moment with Kim. Eventually pulling away from Kim he gently asked her if she would give him and her Mom a few minutes alone. She nodded, announcing that she was going to her room so she could call her friend Monica. Before she could leave Jack softly kissed her on her forehead, and then she sauntered along the hallway before entering her room, firmly shutting the cream door behind herself. 

Once Kim was out of view Jack walked through the hallway approaching Terri. As he moved the state of his exhaustion really hit him - he thought it was bad at C.T.U. but it was now unbearable - he needed sleep. He held a hand against the wall to steady himself and he noticed that the lights had been dimmed - which wasn't helping his fight to stay awake. 

As he reached for her he threw his strong arms around her pulling her closer to him before locking her in his strong embrace. He rested his head on her shoulder and closed his eyes, trying to ignore the nagging sensation in his head which was telling him that she was barely hugging him back. He pulled away briefly to run his hand down her cheek softly before kissing her deeply. After they finished he smiled at her, before asking her the question to cure his doubts. 

"Is everything okay sweetheart?" 

"Yeah... What's going on at C.T.U.? How come they didn't let you go home straight away with us? I thought the threat was gone?" Her voice displayed concern, for herself and Kim. Not Jack. 

Jack thought quickly about what to tell her and decided to play it down, he didn't want to worry her with the fact that her husband could be sent to prison. "I had to debrief and it took a little longer, given the circumstances, but yes, the threat is gone. Your safe now, I promise." He put an emphasis on the last sentence, and then leaned in to kiss her again, and was hurt when she turned her head slightly so he couldn't do so. 

To prevent him from trying again she asked, "You must be hungry, let me fix you something to eat." 

"No thanks." Jack replied quietly, it was clear what she was trying to do, and he was hurt by her strange behaviour. "I'm really tired I haven't slept since Monday, so I'm going to catch up." 

"Okay." She said before turning away and heading towards the kitchen. 

"Night." He said sadly to her retreating back. She didn't hear him. He slouched down the hallway disappointed. He reached their room and collapsed on the bed without a seconds thought. He found sleep instantly. 

After Jack went into their room Terri collapsed into her creamy puffy armchair and began to cry to herself. She held on of her home made embroided cushions to her face to try silence the loud sobs coming from her. The last thing she wanted was for him to hear her. She was angry at herself for being so cold to him, she knew it was the last thing he needed with everything he had gone through - but she couldn't help it. 

She knew what happened to her wasn't his fault but she couldn't help but think about it when he was near her. Every time he touched her with his warm hands she had images of Eli coming towards her. The thought made her shudder, the comparison of him to Jack made her want to throw up - Jack was nothing like that monster. But still, she couldn't help but think of him when Jack was near her, she didn't know what she was going to do. 

She let out a laugh through the tears as she thought of the lecture she had given Kim yesterday in that old water tower. What had she said? "Right now we need to be strong for your father.." or something along the lines of that. 'I screwed that one up,' she thought, angry at herself for not being able to ignore it. She knew that she and Kim would have to put their ordeal behind them or it would destroy him. 

She knew he had a tendency to blame himself, she had witnessed it herself just two years ago, after Jack went away on some 'training session.' He had changed after that, which made her certain it was some sort of covert operation he was on, and she could only imagine what had made him so angry yet guilty at the same time. It was obvious he was shouldering the guilt for something that went wrong. 

She also knew just how overprotective he was of his family. She was positive that the two combined would take their toll on him, and she couldn't put him through that again, she wouldn't. She didn't want to see him deteriorate before her eyes like he almost had before. 


	3. A Small Reassurance

When Jack woke his head felt like a blacksmiths anvil, it was pounding. He slowly sat up and tried to get his bearings, was it Thursday morning, or was it still Wednesday night, he had no idea? It could even be Friday, he thought, from how tired he had been, and still was, actually. He rubbed at his eyes and brushed away the sleep that had appeared in the cracks, and then rubbed a hand across his forehead as he realised just how much he wanted, or needed, a shower; the urge was overwhelming. 

He quickly did the math and realised it had been at least two days since he had last washed, he really needed a shower! As he stretched his arms out and yawned he realised he was still wearing his clothes. Even his shoes and empty side holster. He found that strange as whenever he fell asleep after work before changing he would wake in his boxers, or his shirt and trousers at the most - Terri always sorted it for him, but not today. 

It was then he noticed that the pale blue sheets were still pulled over the bed fully, as he had slept on them, but Terri obviously hadn't got in with him later. Maybe it was still Wednesday after all. He got up and walked over to the thick cream curtains and drew them open, at least she closed them, he thought quickly, before noticing how it was midday at least. So it was Thursday... where had Terri slept? 

He walked back across the room and headed towards the en suit, and pulled the white cord down hard to start the shower, after pulling back the peach water resistant cover to stop the water from drenching the rest of the bathroom. He then turned the dial round so the water would be hot, before undressing. He didn't bother putting the clothes in the laundry basket - instead he simply shoved them in the bin in the corner of the room - he had seen enough of those particular garments. 

As he showered his body ached from his rough day on Tuesday, and he noticed a few bruises here and their, like his arm, which was housing a huge black one. He knew that was from where he dived over the chain link fence and rolled down an embankment after escaping form secret service, he didn't bother trying to identify where the others came from - he didn't care. Instead he turned his thoughts to Terri, he knew she was mad at him as he put her and Kim in danger, so maybe that was why she was so cold towards him. He tried to shrug it off, she would come around later, he would make it up with her - maybe they would take that trip they always talked about - if he didn't go to prison, that was. 

After spending almost an hour in the shower he finally finished and got changed into a pair of loose fitting khaki shorts and a simple white t-shirt. He ruffed a towel through his hair until it was damp enough to class as dry and brushed it down with his hands. As he sat on the end of the king sized bed he began to wonder where Terri was - surely she had herd him moving around the room. He realised that he was nervous about leaving the room - he didn't want to face her incase she was still cold towards him. He didn't want to face her rejection again - he couldn't understand it. 

Getting his head together he realised he was being stupid, he really was. This was his wife he was thinking about, and maybe she was just tired herself yesterday, after all, they had been through a lot, he should have been expecting her behaviour. He got up and opened the door and stepped out onto the laminate flooring, which made his feet tingle because it was cold. As he walked down the hallway he realised that Kim must be out, seen as he couldn't hear her terrible music booming out from underneath her door. He wondered where she was, surely Terri hadn't made her go to school today, had she? 

He passed her room and poked his head through the door frame - empty. He checked the lounge, the dining room, both studies and the separate bathroom, everywhere, and found them all empty. He went into the kitchen and saw a note pinned up on the fringe door, held in place with a magnet cartoon character, whom he believed to be the Tazmanian Devil. He smiled as he read the note. 

Jack, we've gone grocery shopping, didn't want to wake you. Wont be late, Terri x 

He read the note through twice and couldn't help but feel relieved, he didn't know what he was scared of, but something inside him wouldn't relax. Part of him felt better that she had written an 'x' at the end of the note, that was the first sign of emotion he had seen from her since he had returned, even if it wasn't much. 

He opened the fridge and managed to salvage a sandwich from the little food left inside. He ate it down straight away, he hadn't realised how hungry he was. He then padded into the living room and sat down on the sofa and closed his eyes. He couldn't help but wonder about his outcome, would he go to jail? What would he tell Terri and Kim? He tried to forget about his case and concentrate on something else, but there was nothing else. He laid his head back and closed his eyes, trying to block his worries out of his mind. After a few minutes the phone rang, jarring him back to reality with a bit of a jump. The house had been so quiet since last night - it was weird to hear such a loud noise. 

He answered the phone as usual, and it was Nina, calling him with some bad news. 

"Jack, I know you have a lot on your mind at the moment, its just I thought you would want to know, Richard Walsh's funeral is on Friday." 

She gave him the time and place, and he thanked her for informing him - he wanted to be their, he needed to be their. Walsh was a good friend to Jack, and he needed to say goodbye one last time - he didn't like leaving his dead body in the street Tuesday morning - he still felt guilty for abandoning him, even if he was dead. 

After ending his conversation with Nina he leaned forward, elbows on his knees and held his head in his hands. Walshs death was really hitting him now. He was a good man, and had saved Jack's life once before, when he was younger. It hurt him that he had not been able to repay the favour - he had let him down. 


	4. Reality Sinks In

Jack sat still, letting the news about Richard sink in, he had barely had time to react or accept it on Tuesday. He was angry at himself, for he had failed, and the consequences had been costly. The guilt came seeping in as he remembered how Richard had called him instead of closer allies, because he trusted Jack. He 'knew' it would be safe if Jack came. Walsh had been counting on him, and he had let him down. 

He didn't know how long he had been sitting their thinking about it- his head was running around in circles. He herd the noise of a vehicle pulling up into the driveway, and didn't need to glance through the large bay window to know it was Terri and Kim returning, the cars familiar engine noise told him so. Just recently it had started stalling all of the time for no reason, and he could recognise the sound of the engine jerking - he decided that he would fix it over the weekend. 

He heard the door open and the sound of rustling paper bags, which he assumed were bulging with groceries. He didn't get up and go help them bring them in as he usually would, he stayed put, still thinking of Walsh. 

"Jack?" He herd Terri call from the kitchen. 

He didn't reply. 

"Dad?" Kim wailed so he could hear her, wherever he was in the house. 

"Shhhh..." He herd Terri say, now softening her voice. "He's probably still sleeping, lets not wake him honey." 

Next he herd Kim giggle mischeviously. "Still! He is never moaning in at me for overlaying again, its half past four in the afternoon!" She giggled again, but Jack felt no emotion at the sound like he usually would. He had no desire to tell them where he was, he didn't have the energy to pretend everything was okay - it wasn't, Richard was gone, because of him. 

10 minutes later the groceries were all in their places in the different cupboards around the kitchen. Terri jumped when she stepped into the living room and saw Jack sat in his chair, staring blankly at the wall. She wondered why he hadn't answered her earlier, but dismissed it, it was clear that their was something wrong. 

"Hi darling, I didn't know you were down here, didn't you hear me call for you?" She spoke softly, not wanting to aggravate him. Suddenly she realised that she no longer felt the same way about him as she had last night, seeing him like this made her heart hurt, she wanted to comfort him, take away his guilt, he looked so vulnerable, she thought. 

It seemed like forever before Jack finally turned and looked at her, trying to force a smile, unconvincingly. Terri walked over and kneeled down before him, looking up into his eyes concerned. 

"What's wrong?" She whispered. 

"Nothing... I ...." He tried, but he could think of nothing. He couldn't put up the everything's fine' front he used to be able to pull off so easily before. "I just got a phone call... and..." He broke off shaking his head in denial, he couldn't believe he was actually telling her this, he was supposed to protect her from his work, and here he was, about to pour his heart out like a contestant on a bad talk show. 

Terri said nothing, she could see the struggle going on through his eyes alone. They no longer looked bright and piercing, they were dim and sad, gloomy even. She softly rubbed his arm her way of telling him she was their for him. 

"Someone I worked with.... is dead.... and the funeral is tomorrow.... but...." He was having trouble speaking, he was trying not to let his emotions get the better of him, but his voice was starting to crack. "I don't know if I can go, I don't know if... if they will want me their." He closed his eyes as he said it, in fear of crying. 

"Oh hunni, who is it? And why wouldn't they want you their?" She looked at him sympathetically and he realised that she didn't have a clue about his guilt. He was wrong to tell her, she was a civilian, she didn't understand. How could he tell her that it was his mentor, and that he was personally responsible for the mans death. She wouldn't understand, she couldn't. 

He shook his head again, angry at himself for being weak enough to try confide in her, he should have known it would only worsen the problem. 

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have bothered you... everything will be fine." He spoke sharply, and Terri easily noticed the change in his mood. He had made the transition from saddened to annoyed. 

"Are you sure its fine?" She asked gently, not wanting trigger him. 

"Yes." He leant over and kissed her on the cheek before standing up to leave, and he silently noted how she no longer seemed as tense as she had before. He was a little relieved by that, at least something was getting better, he thought. "I'm going to go take a nap if you don't mind, I'm still really tired." 

"Okay sweetie, I'll wake you when suppers ready." She said, her arms now folded across her chest as she watched him leave the room. Something was definitely not right, and she was unconvinced by his weak attempt to persuade her that he was okay. She wanted to tell him this, but knew from experience that it would only make things worse for him. 

Jack walked to their room and laid back on the bed, staring intently at the ceiling. 'Okay,' he said to himself quietly. 'Walsh is dead, I can't change that now. After the funeral its gone, just like him. I have to start looking after my family, and that's not going to happen if I sit here feeling sorry for myself.' 

He pulled himself up into a sitting position and quickly got up off the bed and made his way into the kitchen where Terri was pouring some pasta strips into a pan full of boiling water. He snuck up behind her and snaked his arms around her waste, before nuzzling against the back of her neck. He felt Terri stiffen up instantly, but then she relaxed when she herd him chuckle, as though she realised it was him and not somebody else. He wondered about this but the thought quickly left his mind as she turned around to face him, wrapping her arms around his neck, pulling him closer. 

"Don't ever leave me Jack," she whispered in his ear. 

"I wont." 

He couldn't think of anything else to say, so he didn't, in fear of ruining the moment. Instead he just stood their and held her, finally thinking that everything was going to be okay again. Terri's response was to cling to him tighter as she held onto him, trying not to cry. She felt safe by his words, and was finally beginning to think that maybe, just maybe, they could be a family again, and put the entire ordeal behind them. 


	5. Strange Behaviour Part 2!

Jack felt some of the weight lift from his shoulders as he herd his wife's words. They could finally be a family again, that was all he wanted, more than anything else in the world. The rest of the day passed peacefully for Jack, the three of them ate dinner together and then he and Kim continued their chess game - Kim not quite nailing him yet, as she had promised him earlier on Tuesday, as he rescued them. 

They played for over two hours, neither noticed the passage of time until Terri came in announcing how long they had been playing for. They had both been sucked into their own little world of strategies and the concentration, and Jack realised it was the first time since the entire ordeal, when he had truly felt comfortable in his home - everything felt right. Jack had then kissed Kimberly on the head before she went to her room. Terri was already in bed by the time he had packed the board carefully away onto the cabinet shelf, where the pieces would not be disturbed. 

Before he went to their room he opened Kim's door a crack and peered through, making sure she was indeed in bed this time - he was still scared of her sneaking out again. Satisfied that she was not planning on any more adventures he quietly closed the door and wandered through the hallway before going in his room. 

He went in the bathroom and changed into some white shorts to sleep in, before getting into bed. As he approached their bed he couldn't help but notice how Terri was perched on the very end of her side of the bed, which he thought was a little strange. He laid under the cover and switched the bedside light off which had been illuminating the room. He rolled over to Terri and whispered, 'I love you,' into her ear softly. He watched the back of her head expectantly, but all he got in return was as, 'Night Jack.' She didn't bother to face him, she stayed exactly where she was. He waited a few minutes, feeling hurt, then slowly closed his eyes as sleep called. He rested his arm over her stomach to hold her as he slept, and he could not help but notice how much she tensed up when he did so. He fell asleep full of doubt and confusion, just what was wrong with her? Had he done something to make her behave this way? She had been fine earlier with him, but now, it was as though she was scared of his touch, and that thought alone scared him to death. 

The following morning Jack woke as the bright sunlight came streaming in through the slight crack in the curtains, directly onto his face. He came too and looked over at Terri, still worried about the night before - he was beginning to wonder if she was suffering from Post Dramatic Stress Syndrome, but was not entirely sure - after all, Kim seemed fine and had been through just as much - but then again, he thought, it does effect different people differently. He decided that he would talk to her about it later in the day, after.... after the funeral. He had decided earlier that he would go, but only for a short period of time, and he was going to stay well hidden at the back - he didn't want to cause trouble, even if he was sure his presence their would do just that. Still, it was worth the risk - he owed it to Walsh to be their, despite the consequences. 

He got up and stretched before walking over to the French windows and rearranging the heavy curtains so the gap allowing the bright light access to the room was gone. The room suddenly seemed so much darker, he thought, as he padded across to the bathroom. Before he closed the door behind him to prevent the noise of the shower waking her up, he took one last glance across the room at her and he chuckled at the position she was in, curled up into a tight little ball. He didn't know how she could sleep so soundly in such a way, and let out another slight chuckle as he thought about how much she would be aching when she woke up. 

After showering he quietly dressed in some black trousers and a plain black shirt. He had decided against wearing a suit, after all, he wasn't going to be their long and the formalities were done in the church, he was only going to watch the actual burial. This fact, combined with the heat wave outside made up his mind, and so it was. 

He sauntered downstairs and noticed he still had an hour before he needed to go, so he made some breakfast and read the paper. After that he was lost for what to do. He decided to go early and wait in the car, as it was clear that he was too preoccupied with this to do anything else. 

Before he left he scribbled a short note to Terri saying he was busy and he didn't have his cell on him, but he wouldn't be long. The last thing he wanted to do was draw attention to himself, and he was sure this would happen if his phone started bleeping loudly during the procession. He placed the note on her bedside table, using the digital radio alarm clock as a paper weight. He kissed her softly on the head and left, making sure he didn't slam the door behind himself as he left. 

Terri herd the door shut, and then the engines roar slowly dissolve as he drove away. Once she could no longer hear the car she finally opened her eyes, and a single tear dropped onto her pillow, dissolving quickly into the fabric before she had time to comprehend what she had just done. 


	6. Goodbye

After a long stop-start journey through the towns traffic Jack arrived at the cathedral where Walsh's funeral was taking place. He had ventured the long way around to get here so he would miss the procession, he didn't want to sit through the ceremony inside, it felt too ironic to be there, and he wanted to be alone too, he didn't fancy greeting angry glares today. He parked on the opposite side of the cobbled road and could see people milling back inside the church for the final prayers. The bells were creating a saddened noise, and he was upset by the fact that he instantly recognised it as funeral bells, he decided their and then that he had visited too many graves and it had to stop after this. He waited as more people filled back into the church slowly, all slouched over or crying, all saddened by what they were witnessing, none thought that a man as good as Richard deserved this, and Jack certainly didn't. 

Once certain he was alone he slowly climbed out of the car and walked over the empty road. He paused briefly as he passed the towering building to squint through the suns glare up at the hundreds of years worth of architecture sculptured into the brick work. He then headed towards the graves over the freshly trimmed grass. Walsh's was relatively easy to spot seen as it was the only one with a brand new headstone and an open grave, they had yet to close it up with dirt. 

Jack stood in front of it for a while, hands in his pockets, trying to stop his eyes from watering. He quickly read the sparse headstone over and felt another pang of guilt. He was slightly angered by the words on the stone, how they had summed up his entire life in 2 bare sentences, their was so much more he did, Jack thought, and he had deserved so much more. 

He shook his head slowly as he herd himself speaking quietly, he hadn't even realised what he was doing until he herd his own hoarse words.   
  
"I'm sorry... it should have ended differently for you Richard, and I .... I just wish you didn't go..." 

He closed his eyes as the tears silently dripped down his face and his Adams apple bobbed furiously in his throat. He almost jumped when he herd a soothing voice behind him, but his reactions were slow today. 

"Your Jack Bauer aren't you?" A female voice asked quietly. 

Jack nodded his head hesitantly without turning to face the voice behind him, he knew it would be someone to tell him to leave, that he shouldn't be here. 

"I'm Rachel, his... his daughter." She said, clearly having a hard time getting out her words. 

Jack quickly wiped away the tears before slowly turned around to face her and instantly saw the resemblance between them. She shared his strong blue eyes and his tanned skin, yet she had long dark curly hair and full lips, which was where she differed from him. He noticed that she was about his age, and her eyes were slightly red with bloodshot. He was overcome with guilt as he thought about what Walsh had left behind, and how he had probably turned this young woman's life upside down. 

Jack didn't know what to say and it took his a few minutes to speak, he offered her the usual, "I'm very sorry for your loss." 

He knew it was a useless thing to say and meant nothing in reality. Yet she surprised him when she replied by saying, "And I'm sorry for your loss, I understand you were close with my father?" Her voice was shaky but her words still sounded strong, just like her father, he though reminiscently. 

Jack just nodded, speaking with her was getting too much for him, and the guilt was becoming unbearable. To make matters worse the voice in the back of his head was thinking about Kim now, what would she be doing if this was his funeral instead of Walsh's, she was a lot younger than Rachel, surely she wouldn't be able to cope as well as she seemed to be in front of him. He shook the thoughts of Kim from his mind, this wasn't the time to think about how much of a bad father he had been, he was supposed to mourn for his friend not feel sorry for himself. 

He finally drew his thoughts back to Rachel as he watched her take a step towards him, closing the space between them. She rested her hand on his shoulder softly. 

"I know what happened, one of my fathers contacts had the decency to show me the reports of what happened... it wasn't your fault, so please, don't blame yourself." She spoke softly, she wanted this man to understand it wasn't his fault, she knew what it was like to blame yourself for something, but in the end it is all down to fate. 

Jack wondered if his guilt was that obvious, or if she was simply trying to make him feel better. Still, he was grateful for her reassurance and couldn't pretend that it didn't make him feel slightly better. 

"Thank you." Jack whispered, scared his voice would crack if he spoke any louder. 

He then watched silently as she removed her hand and smiled sadly at him, before turning and heading back towards the building. He watched as she disappeared inside and turned to face the grave one more time, letting the tears fall freely now he was alone. 

"I guess I'll see you on the other side Richard." 

Silently he turned and waked away towards his car, back to the world where he would have to pretend that everything was okay for the sake of his family; back to the world of deception, he thought bitterly. 


	7. Suspicions

Jack drove the black vehicle through the streets slowly with the windows open, an attempt to cool him down as the was sun really was going for it, and his black attire wasn't helping matters. He purposely drove under the speed limit, for some reason he didn't want to go home. He knew it was because once he got home and closed the door behind himself, Richard was gone. Their was no more time to grieve over him, he was dead and buried, from that point on would be out of his life - or at least he hoped. 

After a purposely long journey home Jack walked through the door and made sure it clicked tightly shut behind him. He then placed his metal key through the hole and locked it too. He knew he was being stupid, but he had to do it, Walsh was gone, and he wanted to make a point of it. He walked through the kitchen into the living room where he saw Terri sat in his arm chair, wearing an old white shirt with some loose fitting jeans, holding their silver portable phone in her hand. He took a moment to study her and he couldn't help but notice how she looked worried, and something else too, disappointed, he thought. He had no idea what was wrong, but was quick to find out. Sensing his confusion Terri spoke, her voice a mixture of softness and anger. 

"Nina rang." 

"Oh, did she say why?" Jack asked, confused. 

"Yes she did. She wanted to check that you were okay, what with the funeral and all." 

Jack didn't respond, he didn't know what to say. 

"You did not tell me that it was Richard Walsh... Jack..." Her voice softened as she spoke of Richard, she could only imagine what he was going through. As she said his name her voice screamed of compassion, which was exactly what he didn't want, he didn't need. 

"What does it matter, he's gone, theirs nothing I can do about it now." He said coldly, before turning away and heading towards the kitchen, making sure his back was to her as he poured a glass of cold water. 

"Why didn't you tell me Jack?" Terri asked from behind. 

Jack didn't reply, he couldn't put his explanation into words which she would understand, they were both coming from different ends of the spectrum. 

"You told Nina." She said quietly, allowing a little of the jealously she was feeling show through. 

Placing the glass down on the marble counter top Jack slowly turned around. 

"What?" He asked, his voice strained, he knew what she was thinking. 

"I'm just wondering why Nina is on the phone trying to console you about something you never bothered to even mention to your wife!" Terri said, raising her voice and the tempo, failing to keep herself calm, as she had earlier intended. 

"What are you implying?" Jack replied, his tone short and sharp, serious. 

"I'm not implying anything, I'm trying to understand this is all! You tell a co-worker about something as big as this, that someone as important to you as Richard has passed away, but you do not tell me. What was I supposed to think today, Jack, that everything was okay, when for all I know you could be hurting inside?" She yelled, now hoping her volume would help express her point to him, she knew how difficult it was to get through to him sometimes, especially on emotional topics. 

Jack looked at her, and spoke in a deep tone that made Terries skin shudder. "Richard didn't pass away, he was murdered." 

With that he turned and walked straight past her, never breaking eye contact out onto the back lawn where he sat down on the paved step leading onto the garden. He was angry at himself for his final comment, surely that would only encourage Terri to pry for details when he wanted her to drop the entire thing. But more so, he was mad at her implication about Nina, but not at her, at himself - for he could not outwardly deny it, seen as something had happened in the past between them, something she didn't know about, despite his failed attempts to tell her. 

Terri watched him sit down and hold his head in his hands through the white blinds in the kitchen window. She was mad at herself for how she had just behaved, after all, Richard had died, and she knew how close the two were, and how upset he must be. She was still a little hurt about Nina knowing, but then she guessed that she probably knew because she worked for the same government branch he did, and it wasn't exactly going to be a secret. She was now annoyed at herself for not thinking things through, so she decided she would try to bury her suspicions of Nina, at least until a time where Jack would be fit to argue with her. 

She walked down the steps and stopped at the bottom one, sitting down on the hard grey concrete next to him. 

"I'm sorry sweetie, it was stupid of me to say such a thing. I'm sorry about Richard though, I really am." She spoke softly, hoping to convince him her words were true. 

"Thanks." Jack whispered, turning to face her as he gently held her hand. As soon as he did this he couldn't help but notice Terri squirm. 

"I'm going to get some work done in the study for a while, so if you need me just shout." 

She didn't wait for a reply, she got up, briefly and lightly toughed his shoulder for support, then left, just as soon as she had appeared, Jack thought. Something was not wrong, he was almost certain now, he was just beginning to wonder if it was him, or if something had maybe happened, although he didn't have a clue what. He decided he would wait before he asked her about it, today just wasn't the right time. 

_Is anyone other than Kieferly and Jack-Rocks even reading this??_

_Come on, you know how much I crave reviews, let me know what you think, or if you have at least read it!_

_Cheers!_


	8. Thoughts

The rest of the afternoon passed by slowly for both Terri and Jack. Terri spent most of the time shut away in the study, working mercifully at a rapid pace on her computer, hoping to shut her family worries out of her mind. The few nights since Tuesday had passed for her this way, as she buried herself deeper in her work, hoping to push the memories of that hellish day from her mind. She had only ventured from the dimly lit room to fix up a quick dinner for the three of them, and she had taken hers back to the study so she could eat as she worked, although in reality, she simply wanted to eat alone - she didn't want to have to face Jack again. 

She was still angry at herself for how she was around him, but in honesty, she just couldn't help it. Whenever Jack touched her she could feel Eli instead of him. She knew it wasn't fair to Jack, but when the assault occurred, she kept her calm, by telling herself that everything was going to be okay because Jack was on his way to save her. He did come and save them, but in reality he was too late. And that is what she thought of when they lay in bed together. She knew it was not his fault, how could he have possible known what was going on, he couldn't. It was that simple - he had done everything in his power to help her, and he had saved them. He did nothing wrong, but he did nothing, when she truly needed him, when she was with that monster. 

She wondered if it would make it easier for herself if she told him so he could understand her behaviour. She could tell he was hurt by her lack of emotion towards him, he was trying to hide it from her but she could see it in his eyes, he was hurting. But so was she. She knew that if she told him she would feel better, hall, maybe she would even be able to put it behind her and move on, but she couldn't. As much as it would help her, she knew it would destroy him. 

Jack stayed put in his spot on the cold step in the garden staring deeply into space whilst the air slowly darkened around him as the day passed by. He thought of how stupid he was to think Richard would leave his mind once he went to the funeral - that plan had crashed and burned, seen as he kept popping into his head every now and then. He realised that he simply had to accept that he was gone, but at least he had some good memories to remember him by. What more could he ask for, he wasn't coming back, and that was as good as it was going to get. 

He also thought of Terri, and how strange she was behaving, it really wasn't like her. He was beginning to notice a pattern though, and what he was discovering scared him. Terri seemed to get tense and nervous when he was close to her or if he touched her. If she came to him and controlled the movement between them she seemed to be okay, but when he approached her, that was an entirely different story. 

He was saddened by this thought, what had he done wrong, he wondered? He must have upset her to make her act this way. He couldn't really think of anything which would fit with his hypothesis, and he couldn't think of anything that had happened before Tuesday, and it was directly after that when her distance from him had begun. He deduced that it had to be that she was angry at him for the way his job endangered them, that was the only logical explanation - and he couldn't be mad at her for that - she had every right to be angry with him for what he put them through that day. The must have been scared, he thought guiltily, and he knew none of it would have occurred if it wasn't for him. 

He thought about the irony of the situation he was now facing, Terri's distance from himself. Wasn't that the reason she had kicked him out a few months ago? She had claimed it was, and he believed her, he knew he had been cold and distracted ever since Operation Nightfall, and she had finally had enough. The death of his men was why he had changed, so what had happened to Terri to make her distance herself from him, he wondered confused, he couldn't think of anything, except maybe stress from being kidnapped and held hostage. That could explain it, he thought, although he wasn't fully convinced. 

He then let his mind wander into more dangerous depths, Nina Myers. She had called today to see if he was okay. He knew it was strictly a friend calling a friend, after all she seemed to be with Tony now, from what gossip he had heard floating around the office, much to his displeasure. Still, it only cemented the thought in his head that she had only called as a friend, a co-worker. He also knew that if the roles were reversed he would have done the same thing. 

He also understood where Terri was coming from, it was a little suspicious, especially when he hadn't confided in her, his wife, that it was Walsh who had died. He chuckled dryly to himself as he thought about how she would have reacted if she knew about his and Ninas past together, although he found no humour in it. He felt guilty about how he had retracted her question earlier, he didn't have the energy to go into all that now, maybe he would explain it all to her later, just like he had intended to clear it all up with her when they first got back together, but she hadn't wanted to hear it. Now she did, Jack thought bitterly, and it was only going to make matters worse. 


	9. Contact

Kim sauntered into the house after fiddling to unlock the door whilst juggling her mound of shopping bags at the same time. As soon as she entered the house she couldn't help but sense something was wrong, it was as though tension filled the air. She wandered into her bedroom and was happy to unload her new possessions onto her bed before she looked for her parents. She knew they were both in as the two cars were in the drive, and most of the lights were on, which is why the locked door had confused her, but she simply shrugged it off. 

She found her Mom in the study with her head down and her eyes fixed on the rectangular screen of her laptop before her. Kim tried to make small talk with her, and Terri asked what she had bought with trying to sound mildly interested, but it was clear to Kim she didn't care what she had been up to. Kim ignored this and went through each new item of designer clothing she had purchased giving descriptions for each one, and of course the different occasions she intended to wear them to, and the accessories which would compliment them. Terri nodded her head every few minutes, obviously uninterested, so Kim tried harder to engage her in conversation, asking what she was working on and other open questions. Terri had finally snapped when she had innocently asked where her father was. 

"I don't know where he is Kim can't you see I'm busy?" 

Kim couldn't help but feel hurt at her mom's harsh words, so she stormed off in search of her dad, he wouldn't treat her this way she mused sulkily. After a quick search around the house she found him in the back yard sat on the steps gently rocking back and forth in the nights breeze. She walked down the steps one by one, the noise from her heels informing him that she was coming. 

He turned his head to the side to face her as she sat down next to him. 

"Hey." She greeted. 

"Hey sweetheart." He replied, his voice soft. 

She couldn't help but notice his eyes, he had been crying. This worried her as she had never seen him cry, something must be wrong. 

"Are you okay?" She asked quietly. 

"Yeah I'm fine, how about you, did you manage to empty the entire balance from my credit card this shopping trip?" He tried to add some humour so he could change the subject - he wasn't okay, but he couldn't let her know that. 

Kim started giggling as she grabbed his hand and attempted to explain herself for spending his money. Jack just laughed at her excuses whilst he savoured the contact with her, Terri wouldn't hold his hand, she wouldn't come near him. 

After a while the conversation between the two died down so Kim asked him where he had been today. Jack sighed as he took a deep breath, he thought that maybe if he spoke the words aloud it would make it easier to handle. 

"I was at a funeral, just a co-workers thought..." He lied. 

"I'm sorry daddy." She said as she snuggled up to him. "But everyone has to go some time don't they?" She asked, and Jack couldn't help but feel his heart go out with how innocent she sounded. 

"Yeah, but sometimes people have to go when its not their time." He replied sadly. 

"Like Janet." Kim whispered. "It wasn't her time, but she's still gone." 

Jack tuned and looked at her, his eyes full of guilt. "I'm sorry honey. If it wasn't for my-"

"Dad don't." Kim snapped, before continuing in a soft tone. "Nobody is responsible for Janet's death, it just happens, that doesn't mean we have to accept it, we just have to live with it." She spoke calmly and strongly whilst never breaking eye contact with him. 

Jack was the first to look away and he laughed slightly. "Aren't I supposed to give you the advice?" 

Kim laughed before the two fell into a long comfortable silence, just happy to be in each others presence. Jack still held her hand, he didn't want to let go, he didn't want to be alone. 


	10. Procastination and Breakfast

More time passed by as the two continued to stare out into the night. After a while Jack noticed that Kim was asleep and leaning heavily into his chest. He stood up whilst carefully holding Kim in his arms, then he walked steadily thought the house trying not to wake her, before he dropped her softly onto her bed. He snuck off down the hallway and grabbed a thick brown blanket from the appropriate cupboard, before returning to her and draping it over her sleeping frame. He switched the one lamp that had been illuminating the room off then kissed her gently on the cheek before leaving the room, shutting the door behind him quietly. 

He wandered around the house now at a loss for what to do, he didn't feel like sleeping. As he passed by the study he knew Terri was still in there as he could hear the sound of her keyboard being tapped away at noisily. He wanted to talk to her about Nina, he was still feeling guilty for turning the argument around onto her, when in fact she had been right to have her suspicions. 

He grasped the gold door handle lightly but didn't turn it. He couldn't. He decided it would be best not to disturb her whilst she worked, but he knew it was just an excuse to put it off. He backed away from the door and turned away heading back down the hall, he couldn't tell her, not today. He flopped down into his chair as he promised himself that he would tell her tomorrow. He knew she would be mad at him for what he would be telling her, but part of himself didn't care, he had already tried to tell her once, and she had been uninterested, but now, when he wasn't comfortable having the conversation, she had decided she felt like talking about it. 'Brilliant,' he thought sarcastically, 'Just what I need on top of everything else.' 

He suddenly felt quite angry towards her because of this, and the fact that she had decided to bring it up on the day of Walsh's funeral. She knew how close they had been and how devastated he would be today. Maybe she thought she would get through the defences by hitting him with it while he was down, he wondered, or maybe she simply had really bad timing and hadn't stopped to think her accusations through. 

He felt tired but stayed sat in his chair until he fell asleep, he didn't want to spend the night next to a nervous wreck, and that is what she would be like in bed with him he though viciously, his anger now controlling his thoughts. If she doesn't want me near her, then that's just fine, I'll stay away. Those were his final angry thoughts as he slowly drifted off to sleep, whilst his mind continued to torment him. 

Jack woke up the following morning to the strong smell of pancakes filtering through his senses. He half opened his eyes groggily as Kim pulled open the thick curtains and light streamed into the room, destroying any chance he had of getting back to sleep. He sat up and stretched, noticing the blanket he had draped over Kim last night, which was now covering him. 

"Hey Daddy." She smiled, seeing he was now partially awake. 

"Hey, what times it?" He asked, still a little groggy from his awakening, the light was stinging his eyes which were still accustomed to the darkness and had to adjust, so he squinted across the room at her, making her laugh in the process. 

"Its 10.30 dad, a little late for you sleepy head!" She giggled, before adding. "I made breakfast for you, are you hungry?" She asked enthusiastically. 

Jack tried not to moan when Kim told him she'd made him breakfast, so he put on a fake smile, and spoke gratefully, whilst inside he tried to comfort himself by hoping that maybe her pancakes wouldn't be as bad as they usually were. Still he smiled as he spoke to her, the last thing he would was hurt her feelings, no matter how bad the food was. 

"Thanks sweetheart I'm starving!" 

He laughed as she wandered back into the kitchen, returning shortly with a plate topped with brown pancakes. He took it trying to look grateful, he didn't know if he pulled it off with his upturned nose, they didn't smell too good up close. 

"They are a little well done though." Kim warned looking a little disappointed with herself. 

"Well done?" He asked between a mouthful. "Just the way I like them." He said, as she left him to go see to more things in the kitchen. 

Jack ate the things as fast as he could, trying not to let the taste register in his mouth. He knew it was worth it when he entered the kitchen with his empty plate, seeing the smile on her face as he kissed her on the head then thanked her for the 'wonderful breakfast.' Kim smiled proud of herself, before announcing that she was going to wake her mom and give her her serving. Jack laughed as she left, imagining the look upon her face as Terri woke up to them. 

Jack continued to laugh to himself as he washed his dishes, wondering if today was going to be any better than yesterday. With the thought of what he was going to confess to her about Nina, he decided that it probably wasn't going to be much better after all. _Reviews would be gratefully appreciated_ :) 


	11. We need to talk

Kim smiled to herself as she watched a tired looking Terri gobble down her breakfast in bed. Terri, using the same tactics as Jack had figured she would suffer less if she just shovelled it down her throat as fast as she could. After she finished and thanked her, Kim took her plate and cutlery from her, and skipped back down the hallway towards the kitchen, proud of herself for helping. She had decided late Tuesday night that from that day on she was going to be as nice to her mom as possible, (hence the pancakes,) but during this process, she needed to give her time alone too, or her mom would feel smothered, so when she seemed distant, Kim had decided it would be better if she leave her be. 

Although she meant good, she was in fact doing it the wrong way around. When Terri was in sharp moods or angry with Jack, Kim left her to be alone, but all this did was give her time to think about things, things she'd rather leave behind. That would be the best time for Kim to comfort her mom, but Terri didn't want to put on her daughter by telling her her worries and fears, and most painfully, her memories. Seen as Terri hadn't confided to Kim about this, and Kim hadn't explained her 'make mom better' plan to her, they were both stuck in a cycle travelling in the wrong direction. 

Jack laughed as Kim skipped past him to the sink where she began to scrub the plate. After a quick chat he discovered that Kim was going out soon, so Terri and he would be alone. He knew he had to do it now, the timing was too perfect. He couldn't back out now, he told himself sternly, after he herd Kim yell goodbye and the door close behind her. It was just the two of them now, he had to tell her the truth it would be the only way to make things right, he told himself for reassurance. 

Jack moved into the living room and perched himself on the arm of his chair as he watched Terri slowly enter the room in her dressing gown, still visibly tired. She didn't say a word as the two locked eyes, and she slowly sat down on the couch facing him, it was as if she already knew Jack had planned to say something to her, but he was surprised when she spoke first. 

"You didn't come to bed last night." She spoke calmly, but Jack was annoyed by the comment, he took it as an accusation, or a dig in the very least.. 

"No, I thought I'd let you get some sleep, so you wouldn't have to worry about me being near you." He immediately regretted his words as he spoke them, he didn't know where his sudden bout of anger had come from, but he just couldn't help feeling rejected by the way she had been treating him recently. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that." He said quietly, his sudden burst of anger had slid back below the surface again. 

Terri stared at him, unsure of how to take his words, or how to respond to him. She was curious of what he meant, and if he had realised how she was behaving around him. Part of her wanted him to have noticed the change so she could get the whole ordeal off her chest and tell him, but the other half of her didn't want him to piece it together as she would have to start making excuses up for him, she knew she couldn't tell him no matter how much she wanted to, not yet at least. 

"What's that supposed to mean?" She asked suspiciously; hoping his answer would give her more information on how to take this. 

"Nothing." He lied. "I went to sleep late, and I didn't want to bother you, so I just slept here." 

Both knew it was a lie, but neither wanted to face the truth. Not that truth anyway, Jack had other things on his mind. 

"I'm sorry." He apologised once again, hoping they could quickly look past this 'thing,' so he could move on to the next. "I didn't want to try start something then." 

Terri watched him as he spoke, and was beginning to get worried. Why was he talking to the floor and not meeting her eyes? She had also noticing him fiddling with his fingers, another nervous trait of his - was something wrong, she wondered? 

Jack looked up at her, and when their eyes met he stood up slowly and walked across to her, kneeling down in front of her on the pine laminate floor, so they were just about level. He took her hands in his, and looked her in the eyes, he knew he couldn't do it any other way, he had to be straight forward and forth coming, or it would only make the entire confession seem worse to her. 

"Jack, what's wrong?" Terri spoke, her voice barely audible with strain from her concern. 

Jack shook his head slowly, angry with himself for what he was about to put her through, his heart aching as he tried to form his words. When he spoke, his voice was barely a shaky whisper. 

"We need to talk." 


	12. The Talk

Terri listened to Jack, tears threatening to spill from her eyes, so something was wrong, she thought. She was about to ask him what was going on, but he brought a finger up to her lips gently to stop her. Terri got the message, she knew how hard a time he had talking to anyone, even her, so he was obviously going to take his time. 

"The other night," He spoke softly, quietly, now looking down at his knees, too ashamed of himself to look at her. "When you asked me about Nina, I turned the question on you, I'm sorry, I just couldn't face it...." 

"Jack, what are you saying?" Terri asked, tears now dripping down her cheeks in disbelief. 

"When you and I were separated, I had a brief relationship with Nina Myers." Jack closed his eyes, he felt both relief at having it off his chest, but dread and anticipation of how Terri would react. 

Terri was expecting the words but they still stung her. Jack now looked up from the floor to face her, a look of sorrow and regret plastered on his face. Terri looked at him, and despite her own pain at seeing him like this, she felt anger too - he had slept with another woman and then lied to her about it later. She closed her eyes and opened them again, staring at him, trying to calm herself down, trying to focus. Jack watched her and tried to gauge her reaction, but got nothing. 

Suddenly she pulled her hand back and slapped him hard across the face, before getting up and pushing her way past him into the kitchen. Jack was left kneeling in front of the empty chair, a little stunned by her reaction, he hadn't expected that.   
  
"Terri?" He shouted, before getting up to run after her. 

He met her in the kitchen and she went at him again, pounding his chest. Jack grabbed her wrists to prevent her from hitting him. 

"Terri. I swear, it was only because I missed you that much. It meant nothing honey I swear it, I love you." He said talking quickly, his desperation clear. 

Terri stopped trying to hit him and Jack let go of her arms, which fell to her sides loosely. She looked at him, her face full of hurt, Jack felt his heart brake in two. He had done this to her. 

"Is it over?" She whispered, staring him in the face, daring him to look away or hesitate. 

"It was over before it started!" Jack said, hoping to get through to her. 

"Why did you lie about this last night Jack, if it is over, and why the hell is she ringing the house for you!" Terri screamed, Jack was sure the neighbours would be listening to their row over their televisions. 

"I don't know why I lied, I was scared of hurting you." He said, defeat in his eyes. 

Terri looked at him and shook her head at him before turning away, about to storm off. 

"Terri!" Jack called out in a last effort. 

Terri turned around enraged and slammed her hand into the vase on the side, sending it smashing to the tiled floor. 

"Leave me alone Jack! Just leave me alone, I need to think!" She screamed, before running down the hallway and slamming the door to her study behind her. There was a minute of silence before Jack herd her muffled sobs filter through the door. 

Jack stood against the side and rubbed the back of his neck, he wanted to go after her and comfort her but he knew it would do no good, he wanted to hug her and cry his heart out, but it would achieve nothing. He had no right to be upset, he had brought it on himself, and hurt someone he loved in the process. 

He shook his head hard to clear it, before going to grab the sweeping brush to clear up what was left of the vase. As he cleaned the mess up he tried to block Terri's cries form his head, but they continued to seep in through his barriers.He felt as though he was going to be swept away from the guilt it was overpowering, and he was helpless to stop it. 


	13. Relieved Misconceptions

Terri was sat on the floor with her knees to her chest and her back against the door after she had slid all of the way down it. Tears still streamed down her face but she was powerless to stop them. She was angry that Jack had made her feel bad for questioning him earlier, when he had indeed done what she was suspicious of. But she couldn't fault him, they were separated at the time and he had come out and told her off his own back. And of course, she hadn't forgotten about when he first moved back in and tried to tell her then too, but she wouldn't listen. She cried even more as she realised she had no right to be mad at him, he was the innocent party it was her who had refused to listen, yet he still persisted and she knew that with his sense of guilt and need for the truth it would have been difficult for him to keep it quiet for so long, but how could he tell her something she didn't want to hear? 

She buried her head in her knees to try silence the sobs, she didn't want Jack to hear her like this, it would only make him feel bad and he didn't deserve it. Although what he confessed did upset her, that was the least of her problems. She couldn't stop thinking about how selfish she had just been to keep her own little fling from him with Phil. Surely she should have come clean too, instead of making Jack feel rotten for doing the exact same thing she had? 

Shaking her head she wiped at her eyes they were stinging from crying so much. She knew she had needed to get it out of her system it had all been building up since the assault, which was the main reason for her tears. She wanted to go out and tell Jack everything and have him hold her and comfort her, make her feel safe again, but she couldn't, could she? It would tear him up, and the last thing she wanted was for him to think she was using it as a weapon to kick him while he was down, which she would never do under any circumstances, never mind something of this magnitude. She knew it was going to be as hard on him as it was on her, which is why she still held it back, despite the staggering pain it now caused her to do so, which was growing stronger each day. 

Jack had successfully cleaned up Terri's mess and was pacing around the living room, his hand rubbing the back of his neck as he thought, moving to his nose occasionally, a habit of his he never really noticed. He could still hear her cries and he wanted to breakdown too, but he couldn't. He knew had to be strong, even though he had caused the argument he had to stay calm, for her sake. 

Realising he could finally take no more he walked over to her door and slowly turned the knob and tried to open it slowly. It didn't get far and he realised that Terri was sat before of it, preventing his entrance. 

"Terri?" He called gently, through the now closed door, Terri had shoved her back against it to do so, she had to get a grip on herself before she let him in. Jack however, took this as a sign for him to leave her alone. He moved away into the lounge and slumped down onto the couch. He leaned over and rubbed his hands through his head as he tried to hold himself together, but it was getting harder and harder by the minute. He snapped out of his trance as he herd his wife speak. 

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have tried to hurt you." 

Jack looked up to see her stood in the doorway, her arms folded across her chest defensively, her eyes red and slightly swollen as a result of the tears. She moved across the room slowly and sat down on the couch close to him, taking his hand in hers as she did so, before speaking again. 

"What happened is in the past, I want to move on towards the future with you, all that matters to me is that I'm with you." She whispered. Jack felt his insides squirm as she talked about their future, for all he knew his future would be spent in gaol with the label of a traitor, but he wouldn't tell her about that yet, it was unnecessary to worry her about this when their was a slight chance he would get off. Trying to push the negative thoughts to the back of his mind he smiled at her before he spoke, his voice a heart filled whisper. 

"Thank you." He broke off to lean in and kiss her, which surprisingly, Terri returned before they broke away from each other and she leaned into his chest, feeling safe once again. He held her that way as they both sat with their thoughts glad to be back in each others arms once again, relieved that it felt right this time. 


	14. Driven

The two sat together for minutes which soon turned into hours as they fell asleep, both exhausted from the rows and the overhaul of emotions they had been subjected to. After a few hours Jack began to stir and accidentally woke Terri while trying to retrieve his arm from around her waist, which was now tingling with pins and needles. When Terri opened her eyes she felt someone very close to her, too close to her. She tensed before turning to see Jack, which relaxed her. She sank back onto him, as he changed arms around her, wondering how to react to what Terri had just done; it had happened again, he thought confused. Terri felt relieved as she realised she no longer cared about being near Jack, she wanted him near her, she didn't feel tense instead she felt safe again, knowing that nothing bad would ever happen to her of Kim as long as he was with them. She closed her eyes glad that the nightmare was finally fading. 

Jack felt Terri relax in his arms, he didn't know how he knew, he just did. He closed his eyes as he tried to make up excuses for what she just did and how she had acted previously, but he couldn't. It was obvious that something was wrong, and he was now sure that Terri was trying to hide it from him, which only aroused his curiosity further. He decided to speak, he just hoped it wasn't going to set off another argument, but he couldn't keep quiet about it any longer. It was hurting him and he wanted to know if there was a reason behind it. 

"What's wrong?" He asked gently, almost sounding like a child to Terri's ears. 

She shifted around to face him and put on a forced smile as she asked, "What do you mean?" Inside she was nervous, she knew exactly what he meant. 

"Terri, I don't want to start something, but I just can't help shake the feeling that something's wrong here. Whenever I'm near you you tense or try get away from me. Is something wrong? Have I done something wrong? If I have I need to know, I'll make it better." Terri could almost detect a pleading tone in his voice, and she felt even worse. She would not tell him for his own good, yet she still couldn't stand him being hurt like this, especially thinking it was his fault when it wasn't; not entirely anyway. 

"Jack I don't know what your talking about." She spoke trying to keep her voice calm, but their was an edge of coldness to it too, which she hoped he would take as a hint to stay away from the subject. 

"Terri..." He said, knowing what she was trying to do, but not being able to get his words out properly. He was trying to make sure he didn't say anything which was going to upset her or make her mad, things were finally peaceful and he couldn't help but feel as thought he had just triggered another argument. 

"Just leave it Jack, its nothing." Terri said as she stood up and backed away from him, her voice now void of any emotion, she had to get it through to him, nothing was wrong, and even if she admitted that there was, she was not going to tell him the actual problem. 

"Don't tell me its nothing Terri! You can't even look me in the face." He said, his voice more edgy this time, he was getting frustrated, Terri noted. 

Looking at him she shook her head slightly, she wanted to get it through to him that there was nothing to tell him, but she knew he would not take the subtle hints. 

"I'm going for a drive, I don't need this now." She turning to leave the house, grabbing her handbag of the table before doing so. As she disappeared from the room Jack spoke. 

"Don't need what?" He asked, before hearing the door close behind her, she hadn't herd him. He sunk down deeper into the chair and closed his eyes before the tears of frustration leaked out. He couldn't help but ask himself why she was doing this to him, and if he had somehow drove her to it. 


	15. Good Intentions

Jack sunk deeper into the chair as the tears fell down his cheeks. He was angry at himself for making Terri act so strange, yet at the same time he was frustrated that she would not tell him the problem so he could fix it. On top of this he was annoyed with himself for crying, what sort of husband and father was he if he couldn't cope with an argument without breaking down? What sort of man was her, crying his eyes out twice in as many days? He was ashamed of himself. 

Kim walked in the house, back from her friends early. She sauntered through the house but then stopped dead in her tracks as she saw her father. He was leant forward in his chair, elbows on his knees with his head resting in his hands. From the look of it he was crying, but that couldn't be right, could it? She slowly backed away and slipped unnoticed down the hallway. She quietly opened the door and slammed it shut again, a lot louder than she had the first time, so he would know she was home. 

"Mom? Dad?" She yelled, taking her time as she walked down the hallway. If her father was crying she knew he would not want her to see him doing so. She had only ever seen him cry once, when she was a little girl, she couldn't even remember what it was over. She could remember, however, how embarrassed and angry he had been at himself for letting her see him that way. 

She walked into the room a second time and saw her father 'reading' the newspaper, looking as though lost in some article. His eyes were red. She smiled to herself as she realised she was right - he was upset and was trying to hide it from here. Typical, she thought, keeping everything inside, hasn't he herd the old saying, "a problem shared is a problem halved?" _((Edit: LMAO! Had to put that in - I could just imagine her thinking such a thing - she's such an idiot!!)) _

__

"Hi daddy." She said, sitting down next to him, forcing him to discard the paper. Not that it mattered, they both knew he hadn't been reading it - only he didn't realise Kim knew this, despite the slight smirk forming on face, in triumph of her knowing something he didn't, it was a rare occurrence.   
  
"Hi sweet." He said, his voice shaking slightly. 

"Where's mom?" She asked, curious if she had told him something to make him so upset. 

"Erm, I don't know, she went off somewhere, for a drive, I think." 

"Oh." Kim said, understanding the situation a little better. "So did you two fall out or something?" 

Jack looked at her, he didn't want to tell her about his problems, she was just a child. It would be cruel of him to put his problems on her, he would have to screw the cap on the bottle which was housing his worries and fears even tighter.   
  
"It was nothing sweetie, I'm sure everything will be fine." He said, trying to reassure himself more than anything. 

"Are you okay?" She asked, seeing through his week attempt to get her off the subject. 

"I'm fine." He said, adding a fake smile. 

All right." She said, finally believing him as she snuggled up to his arm for a moment before getting up to go into the kitchen. "Do you want some coffee?" 

"No thanks. I think I'm going to go for a run, clear my head some." 

Now she knew something was wrong - he hadn't even busted her for trying to have some coffee when she knew full well she wasn't allowed it. 

He turned to leave but Kim called out to him before he could do so. He turned around, the smile still plastered on his face. 

"Your not moving out again are you?" She was scared of the answer. She had secretly feared this happening ever since her and her mom had been kidnapped. Her mom had seemed angered at him about it - so she had thought her mom would tell him to get lost again like she had last time. 

Jack sighed and sat down again, motioning for her to join him. 

"Me and your mom had a fight, that's all. But no, I'm not moving out." _'At least not yet_,' he thought. 

"What was it about?" She asked, curiosity getting the better of her. 

Jack started to laugh as he answered, "I don't know." 

Kim pulled her arms around him and hugged him tightly. 

"Then it can't have been a bad argument then." 

She had the best intentions in the world, but her words were making everything seem worse to him. Should he know what was wrong? Had he missed something or not noticed something he was supposed to have? 

Kim got up and sauntered into her room, Jack watched her as his eyes flooded with tears again - though this time they didn't not spill over the brim. What he would give to be a carefree teenager again, without a worry in the world. 


	16. Hope and Fear

Jack changed into some loose fitting sweat pants and an old white T-shirt. After tightening his shoelaces and saying goodbye to Kim he set off on his run. He started at a steady pace going through the local area, crossing over the park way and turning into the long stretch of lanes. He found that the run was helping him organise the many thoughts in his head, and he was beginning to rationalise with himself. 

He began to question his part in their earlier argument. Was there really anything wrong with Terri, or was he simply paranoid, harassing her with false claims about her behaviour? As he thought of this he began to feel stupid, what if it was nothing and he was scaring her away? He decided that he needed to drop the entire thing - if Terri had something on her mind he should let her deal with it. As long as he is their when she to talk to him, that's all he can do, and its the best thing to do. He was disappointed in himself as he thought of how he would react when people would try to force something out of him, and there he was doing the same thing he despised to his wife. He knew the main reason he had asked her about it was as he wanted her to know he was there for her, but was beginning to think he should give her some space - he didn't want to smother her, not after everything they had been through. 

As he reached the end of the lane he began to run full out holding nothing back. He knew he still had over a mile to go but he couldn't slow himself. As he ran faster and faster he felt the weight lift form his shoulders, he felt free, as though nothing could stop him. He wanted to see Terri, he wanted to apologise and hold her and tell her everything was going to be all right. He hadn't realised that the main reason he was going so fast was to see her, he wanted everything to be all right again, and he finally had the hope that it could be. 

As he reached their paved driveway he slowed down considerably, and he couldn't help but lock eyes with the empty space her car should be. He stopped completely and his arms hung at his sides, his breathing heavy, his mind confused as to where she could still be, she had been gone hours now. He couldn't deny the fact that he was disappointed that she was still gone, but he tried his hardest not to let it dampen his hopes. He was going to talk to her as soon as she got home and make everything better. He was going to fix thing, he thought. He was going to make sure she believed him, and that they were going to be a family again. He had never meant anything more that he did this, and he had never been more determined to sort something out and move past it. 

He sauntered into the house while his legs felt as though he was floating. He headed straight to the kitchen, pouring a cool glass of water and then gulping it down noisily. He looked at the wall clock and saw he had been gone for almost an hour, the time had flew by. He walked down the hallway towards their room for a shower, and couldn't help but smiled as he herd the music coming form underneath Kim's closed door. For some reason it felt so right to him, hearing it - as though things really were back to normal again. 

He shook himself out of his thoughts that the music stirred and headed into their room. After a long hot steamy much needed shower and a change of cloths he was wondering around the house feeling lost as to what to do. He wanted Terri to hurry home so he could tell her what he had been thinking about during his run. He was excited, in a way, that for the first time in his life he truly believed he could change his ways and make things right. He wanted Terri to share his hope and enthusiasm in this, and thought she would. 

He paced around the living room once more before finally picking up the cordless phone and dialling her cell from memory. He got the answer machine before it rang, and hung up, a slight worry forming in his mind, why wasn't she picking up? 

Before he had time to let the dangerous possibilities filter in, the attempts on his family just days ago clear on his mind, the phone rang in his hand. It was Terri. He had got her answer phone as she was trying to ring him at the same time. His relief didn't last long as he herd Terri's shaky voice on the other end of the phone, clearly upset. 

"Jack, we need to talk, can you meet me, I'm by the river." 

After hearing Jacks response she hung up and wiped at the tears streaming down her face. She was so mad at herself for doing this to him. 

Meanwhile Jack had already ran out to the car and started up the engine. His earlier good spirits already dampened, he was now worried if he had left it too late, if Terri had already decided it was over like she did last time. He was scared he wouldn't get a second chance like he did last time, that he wouldn't be able to make things better after all. 


	17. Truths

Jack drove at a steady pace towards the river. He knew exactly where Terri was as soon as she had muttered the words through her tears. The river was a special place for them and held many precious memories for them both, the most important one being the day Jack proposed to Terri. 19 years ago they had sat together on the old fashioned bench under the sunshine by the river side, and Jack had produced a simple ring from his pocket and asked a pregnant Terri the most important question he could ever ask, and she had said yes, completing them. He thought back to that day and remembered how he had been so nervous, as he was now. He hoped she wasn't choosing this place to tell him it was over in some sick symbolic way, as it would hurt. More than it would anywhere else, because this was _their _place. Doing it here would be her way of twisting the knife, and things really would be over, for good. He prayed this wouldn't be the case. 

The happy feelings he felt that day were now gone as his drove, replaced with guilt, upset and nerves. Fear was the emotion he felt most of all, he was scared he had thrown it all away in a stupid act of honesty. He was almost beginning to wish he hadn't told Terri the truth about Nina, but knew that wouldn't have been right either. How could they start again on a foundation built up of lies? They couldn't, was the conclusion Jack had reached, which is why he had told her in the first place. He decided that even if they were truly over he would not regret telling her the truth. He had done the right thing, even if the consequences were bad, and that was what mattered. He would not lie to his wife, not then, not now, not ever again. 

He parked the car and locked the door behind him before heading down the muddy footpath down the side of the riverbed. He knew the way like the back of his palm, and as he trudged along with his hands in his pockets, he wondered how many nights they had laid on their backs here, and starred up into the stars together, thinking about their future, about the time they were now living. He never would have imagined the things which had led him to where he was now. 

He slowed his pace down and held a hand up to shield his eyes from the suns glare as he squinted across the overgrown field which now lay before him. He could make out the old rusted bench at the far end right before the river, and sure enough, sat a lone figure. There was no doubt in his mind it was Terri. He walked over to her at a slow pace, prolonging what he felt was inevitable - the end of them. Hew reached the bench and stood behind it, too scared to sit, too scared to do anything, he could feel the butterflies fluttering around freely in his stomach, or so it seemed. 

Terri sat still, she knew he was behind him. She couldn't see or hear him, she just knew, she could feel his presence in the air, it was comforting. She closed her eyes, she was so ashamed of herself. She had to do this, she knew, but it still hurt. She would have to confess to the truth, just as he had, she just wished she had done it when the chance had first presented itself, instead of waiting and letting his pain and her guilt build up in the process. 

She felt Jacks hand rest gently on her shoulder and opened her eyes to see him take a seat besides her, gently grabbing her hand from her lap in the process. He held it in his own, inter-linking their fingers together. She could feel him shaking slightly but didn't know why, it wasn't cold out. She looked in his deep blue eyes and felt even worse, she should have told him before. 

"Thanks for coming." She said, now looking down at her feet. Jack watched her speak, he knew not to interrupt, he wouldn't rush her into ending their marriage.   
  
"I'm sorry. The other day, when..." She paused momentarily to look up at him, before quickly glancing away again. "When you told me about Nina.... I was mad, but, but, I shouldn't have been." 

She paused again and Jack finally saw his chance to jump in. "Terri you have every right to be angry with me I know what I did was -"

"Jack, stop it, please. Let me finish. I haven't been entirely truthful either, you see..." She broke off and took a deep breath, it was hard. "I had a brief relationship with someone else, too." 

She swallowed hard and stared at him, waiting to see his reaction. Jack watched her as he took it all in, he was hurt, but relieved too - this was the last thing he was expecting to hear. He took a shaky breath as he weighed up his thoughts quickly before deciding how to proceed. Yes, he was angry and upset that she hadn't told him this when she had the chance, but he was not going to let this ruin them. They could move past it.   
  
"Its okay.... It doesn't matter, none of that matters anymore." 

He smiled at her as the fact that she wasn't leaving him finally sunk in. Terri felt her knees go weak, both at the smile and that he was so forgiving to her. _So this is love_, she thought to herself as she started to feel herself get emotional. 

"I'm sorry Jack." She said as a tear dripped down her cheek, she still felt guilty for keeping it back from him. 

Jack stopped her from going any further by leaning over and kissing her gently on the forehead. 

"Shhh...." He whispered as he placed a light finger on her lips. "All that matters is that I have you by my side, that's all I want. I don't care about anything else, other than you and Kimberly, my family."

It was Terri who stopped him this time, with her mouth on his. They kissed passionately and they both knew, for certain, this time, that things were finally right. They could start living there lives together again, and more importantly, make it right this time. 

She pulled away from him and smiled happily, before leaning down into him as he wrapped a strong arm around her and whispered sweet nothings into her ear. 

Inside he promised himself that he was never going to let go of her, not again. 


	18. Happily Ever After

The two sat together looking out at the calm river for hours. Occasionally Jack would lean over and kiss Terri's forehead gently. And every now and then Terri would whisper how happy she was that things were okay between them in his ear. Time passed them by and it began to get darker and colder, the once gentle breeze now stronger. Terri started shivering so Jack draped his black jacket over her shoulders softly before suggesting they made their way back home. They walked through the field together slowly, both savouring this time as best as they could. Terri was in front and Jack directly behind with his arms around her stomach tightly, they looked like they once did as a young teenage couple. 

He didn't let go until they got to the cars. Two cars and two people shouldn't have been a problem, but it was as they didn't want to separate. Jack decided that they should drive back in his and he would walk down and pick hers up tomorrow morning - he couldn't bear to be away from her now, even for the short drive home. Terri agreed happily and climbed into the passenger side, whilst Jack drove. Their was silence between them as they journeyed home, although not an awkward one. This time it felt right, they didn't need words, just being together was enough. 

They arrived home and sauntered through the hose turning on the lights as they did so, now holding hands. Jack smiled once more as he herd the music from under Kims door, everything felt so perfect, the pieces of the puzzle were finally making up the picture. They finally parted as Terri wandered into the kitchen and Jack into Kims room. She smiled as he entered and he sat down on the end of her bed to chat with her for a while. It was idle talk about nothing, but it was still everything to him, just hearing his daughter talk enthusiastically about something. He kissed her on the forehead and told her he loved her before leaving her back to her music. 

Later that night the three ate dinner together and Jack was happy to see Kim and Terri talking away as mother and daughter should do, as they once had. There was no more of the bickering or tension he had once grown used to, it seemed as though they had found their connection once more. He decided that it was probably down to the kidnapping, extreme situations like the one they were placed in makes people reach out for one another. He smiled to himself as he realised at least one good thing had come from that day. 

After dinner and desert Jack and Terri did the dishes together while Kim watched television. Afterwards she insisted that they work on their chess game, she was certain she had him cornered this time. Jack laughed and joked as they played, almost letting her win a few times but getting away at the last minute. He loved to see how focused she was on it, very determined to win, just like he was, he thought. 

After a few hours of chess Jack decided he was ready for bed. He was more than pleased when Terri came into the room minutes later to join him in bed. The two talked quietly into the night and held each other as they drifted peacefully of to sleep. As Jack slept he thought about how great things were with his family. He didn't care about C.T.U, he didn't care about Nina. 

He had his wife and daughter back by his side, and happy too. That was all he cared about now, and he was going to make sure they remained the priority. It was his duty after all and he had no intentions of ignoring it this time. For the first time in what felt like forever, they were a family again, and were going to remain that way. He could ask for nothing more. 

----- 

_THE END!!!_

----- 

Corny I know! 

There will more than likely be a sequel to this, but I just wanted to conclude things properly here. 

If there are things you felt I have started and then just ignored they will be covered in the sequel. Just don't expect it too soon, I've got other fictions to complete first!! 

Hoped you like it, let me know what you thought please ;) 

Thanks for reading :)


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